updated 05:15 pm EDT, Tue August 3, 2010

Moto 10-inch tablet would use TV to rival iPad

Motorola's rumored 10-inch Android tablet could have an unusual TV feature to lure buyers away from the iPad, anonymous sources said Tuesday evening. The slate would support watching TV and would have an unspecified link to Verizon's FiOS fiber optic IPTV. It's unknown if this would involve a FLO TV tuner, but with Qualcomm's planned exit an Internet streaming option is more likely.

A TV option would be realistic, FT said, as Motorola's device would complement rather than compete with more conventional TV.

The device in question would run at least Android 2.2 as it would support Flash, but it would also bring a 3G hotspot feature borrowed from the Droid X that isn't an option on the iPad. Front and back cameras would also come about, and the device is purportedly thinner and lighter than the iPad.

As with earlier rumors, Motorola and Verizon are rumored to be pressing for a fall launch. Publicly, Motorola's co-CEO Sanjay Jha has been hesitant on the subject due to OS customization concerns but also hasn't ruled it out.

Motorola's was seemingly caught off-guard this year with the launch of the iPad as an effective AT&T exclusive. The Apple tablet isn't locked, but without an EVDO version can't run on Verizon's network in any form. Tablets have already been in development from ICD and others but have faced delays and waits for Verizon's 4G network plans, leaving Motorola as one of its few options.

Unconfirmed rumors have persisted that AT&T has only a short-term advantage over Verizon and that a Verizon iPad is in testing, though to use 4G it would have to ship either at the end of this year or early in 2011.